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Power Moves: PHMC hired its first chief program officer

Plus, Mark Wheeler is officially the city's permanent CIO, the local African-American Chamber of Commerce picked its first Youth Professional Advisory Council and seven more leadership changes in Philly social impact.

Power Moves is a semi-regular column chronicling leadership movements within Philly’s social impact community. Send announcements to philly@generocity.org.

1. Public Health Management Corporation’s first CPO is Pam Mattel.

The public health resources provider (and the 29th biggest nonprofit in Philadelphia by income) recently hired the former executive VP and COO of Latino health services nonprofit Acacia Network to lead its health and social services programming.

In this role, Mattel is charged with managing the delivery of PHMC’s work “to enhance public health quality outcomes, maximize revenue, streamline participant experiences, and foster collaborative relationships across all areas,” according to a release.

“Pam has extensive and relevant experience in the field of primary and behavioral health care, social services and integrated care,” said Richard J. Cohen, PHMC president and CEO, in a statement. “Her deep understanding of effective service delivery and program management will be an incredible asset to PHMC’s operational and strategic leadership.”

2. Historic Germantown has a new executive director.

Tuomi Forrest. (Courtesy photo)

Tuomi Forrest joined the 30-year-old nonprofit that protects and promotes the Northwest Philadelphia neighborhood’s historic sites following 20 years at Partners for Sacred Places, including 13 years as executive VP.

Former ED Trapeta Mayson left the organization in March; in early 2017, she led it to the final stage of the Lodestar Foundation’s Collaboration Prize, a national contest for organizations that have executed successful strategic collaborations.

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Stacey Swigart worked as interim executive director until mid-August.

3. The local African-American Chamber of Commerce picked its first Youth Professional Advisory Council.

The African-American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ and DE recently announced that 14 young professionals had been named to the council to “foster a strong sense of community and enhance the professional development of young professionals and budding entrepreneurs in the Delaware Valley and Southeastern Pennsylvania” via programming, volunteering and networking.

4. Somerset Neighbors for Better Living President Gloria Cartagena is getting some national recognition.

Cartagena is a recipient of the Dorothy Richardson Award, a national resident leadership award from NeighborWorks America, for her work advocating for community members’ needs in the face of a surging opioid epidemic. She will be honored during a ceremony in Houston next month during NeighborWorks’ Community Leadership Institute.

“We rarely have the opportunity to celebrate a community leader like Gloria at this large of a scale,” said Tess Donie, associate director of community engagement at NKCDC, in a statement; the community development corporation nominated Cartagena for the award. “NKCDC is incredibly grateful to be working side by side in the Kensington neighborhood with Gloria, as we see the impact she’s had on our staff and the neighborhood each day.”

Gloria Cartagena at a Rebuilding Together Philadelphia block build in Kensington. (Photo by Lowell Brown)

5. Committee of Seventy announced its 2018-2019 Buchholz Fellows.

The good-government nonprofit picked six young professionals as the second cohort of its civic engagement program. They’ll each serve as non-voting members of CoS’s board of directors and work to expand its We Vote program, which aims to promote a “culture of voting” in local businesses and was started by the 2017-2018 fellowship cohort.

6. TheVillage named a new president and CEO.

Michael Kellerman. (Courtesy photo)

Michael Kellerman joined the Rosemont-based social services nonprofit permanently in July after working as its interim president and CEO for the past year. He previously worked as a consultant for local nonprofits such as Ballet Austin and Esperanza, and as the director of Center City District from 2015 to 2017.

Former head Darlene Hewett retired in 2017 after more than 40 years with the organization.

7. Mark Wheeler is officially the City of Philadelphia’s chief information officer.

The civic technologist took over the Office of Innovation and Technology as interim CIO in January, following the ousting of Charlie Brennan from the top role, and Technical.ly Philly reports Wheeler has been appointed to the role permanently as of today. He previously worked as the city’s chief geographic information officer.

“I’m confident that he is the perfect choice to lead OIT’s two-fold mandate,” said Chief Administrative Officer Christine Derenick-Lopez, to whom Wheeler reports, in a statement. “Upgrading and improving the IT systems that empower City departments, while at the same time ensuring that Philadelphia remains a leader in municipal innovation to improve services to residents.”

8. Jeffrey Abramowitz is now ED of reentry services at JEVS Human Services.

In January, Abramowitz launched the National Workforce Opportunity Network, workforce development and career placement agency; he said NWON would live on under the direction of Myra Brown.

9. ACCT Philly hired its new executive director from Chicago.

The Animal Care and Control Team of Philadelphia, which manages the city’s animal shelter, announced last week that Susan Russell would take over on Oct. 22. The litigation lawyer previously worked as the ED of Chicago Animal Care and Control.

The city’s deputy managing director of the city’s community services cabinet, Joanna Otero Cruz, replaced Deputy Managing Director for Community and Culture David Wilson as ACCT board chair this past winter.

10. Visit Philadelphia’s Meryl Levitz replacement is Jeff Guaracino.

The tourism marketing agency announced last week that Welcome America, Inc.’s president and CEO would lead it starting Oct. 29. Guaracino previously worked at Visit Philadelphia from 2001 to 2012, including as VP of communications, before he left for New Jersey marketing org Atlantic City Alliance.

In January, Levitz, the organization’s founding president and CEO of 22 years, announced her plans to step down by the end of 2018.